The Dark Wind

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Though I’d sent Faith up front to ask Jin for a meeting, the air of chilly tension was still there when I shifted to Jin’s underground hideout. Unlike me, who considered the Dark Wind where I reined Seattle, Jin controlled Asia from his elaborate underground tunnels. From what little I knew about him, Jin didn’t come up above ground unless he was truly needed.

The nightstalkers were waiting for me, keeping a perfect circle around me. I didn’t really expect them, waiting for me, or didn’t really know how they knew I was arriving, but all the same, they stood in a perfect circle around, all heads bowed. A quick count made ten of them, all in white ceremonial robes. Immediately, I felt out of place with my tube top and leather pants.

“You’ve arrived, Keeper of Seattle.” The harmony of voices greeted me in unison, and I stifled a freaked out shiver. Okay, I expected Jin to be backward. But not to this extent. It didn’t really help that I hadn’t seen him for quite some time. After all, not anyone could drop by Jin’s place as and when they liked.

I was saved from coming with some sort of reply as the nightstalker directly in front of me stepped out, still slightly bowed. His hair was a strange spiky purple, but I caught a glimpse of his bowed face. Before turning nightstalker, this guy had to be someone from a punk rock band.

“Please follow after me, Keeper of Seattle. Master Jin awaits.” My suspicion was confirmed when the nightstalker spoke, his liquid velvet voice toiling in my ears.

Left with nothing else to do, I put on my best haughty look that I could manage as the Keeper of Seattle, made a convincing sound at the base of my throat to signal the nightstalker to move, and followed after with great, confident strides. I swept past most of the nightstalkers, who bowed even further as I passed them. Wow, I had a good mind to start teaching my own nightstalkers their own mannerisms.

At least, anything was better than my nightstalkers greeting Ancient Valerio with a “Yo! Whassup?” Yeah, it happened, with Cole. Thankfully, it had been Valerio. Had it been Roz, or Kote, or even Jin, I was pretty sure Cole would end up just a stain on the floor.

Thankfully, I had the nightstalker to guide me through the tunnels, as we winded through a thousand different corridors, turning a million corners. Despite Jin’s backward way in life, the tunnel was well ventilated with modern technology, as evidenced by the vents and air conditioning. The walls seemed reinforced with steel, and there seemed to even be automatic doors. As we walked down the corridors, the nightstalkers who walked by, or just happened to spot us, all bowed down low in respect as I passed through. Respective much.

I had a sneaky feeling that we were reaching Jin’s room, as the doors began getting lesser and lesser. As we turned the last corner, there were no doors at all, just Jin’s room right at the end. Even as we slowly approached, I could feel his repelling aura at the door, trying to push curious, invading nightstalkers away.

The nightstalker stepped forward bravely, rasping his knuckles softly on the only wooden door I’d seen. The hollow sound of oak being knocked at sounded. We waited. One second passed. Then two. Three.

As I began to get impatient, I heard a soft tapping from the other side of the door.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap.

It didn’t sound even relatively like Morse code, but all the same, it was a soft tapping that could barely be heard. The nightstalker didn’t seem confused the littlest bit as he mimicked the tapping from inside, rasping softly against the oak.

And then there was silence again. One heartbeat. Two. Three. Four.

Tap.

With that, the nightstalker began to smile slightly, though carefully keeping the expression hidden in the shadows as he turned the door knob, retreating to the side and bowing down low, gesturing for me to go in. I barely remembered my Nightstalker Court Customs as I brushed past the nightstalker. By simple rights, I should have just brushed past him. Yet, I couldn’t help but stop to touch him upon his left shoulder lightly while he bowed.